No Need to Say Goodbye
by Dorkling
Summary: Why did she leave without saying goodbye? Did she ever need to?


"C- can I see her now?" Lucina tried to maintain her unflappable demeanor, but circumstance made the initial stumbling of words understandable.

"I don't know…" Sumia exaggeratingly bit her lip and furrowing her brow. "She's only recently been cleaned after soiling herself. She's a very stinky baby, now that I think on it."

"Mother- !" the tortured statement broke from Lucina's lips simultaneous with the sudden flush of red over her cheeks shattering her calm appearance.

"I'm sorry, believe me, Lucina." Sumia chuckled at how easy it was to push her daughter's buttons, one simply needed to know where to push. "Yes, you can go see her. She's just woken up from a nap, a habit that she looks like she might break quite vigorously when she's your age."

Lucina simply nodded in acknowledgement and slowly opened the door she and her mother stood before and entered the small bedchambers as quietly as she could. Bedchambers may have been a bit much, really, as there was not any bed but a dainty crib in the middle of the relatively spacious room. Lucina felt the weight of every one of her steps as she approached it, resting a hand on the sword that hung on her side, not to draw it out of course, it was simply a reflex that helped calm her nerves. What was about to ensue would be nothing short of bizarre for herself and the occupant of the crib. Presuming said occupant could comprehend anything that was going on, but still, Lucina could not help the feeling of awkwardness crawling up and down the length of her spine like a horde of little bugs. Eventually, she found herself standing next to the crib, looking down at one of the most terrifying, wondrous and strangest sight she had ever gazed upon; herself.

Lucina was amazed at the reflection she saw in the crib. It was her face, yet not her face. Eyes that shined with innocence, a mouth that gaped and sputtered but always maintained a shape of blissful joy and a soft face that would never belong in the harsh environs of a battlefield. This was Lucina, a Lucina of another time not condemned to a harsh fate. It was strange to Lucina, the Lucina that did not escape the wrath of Grima, how something that was her felt so alien. The princess that stood over the crib had stern eyes that saw the deaths of friend and foe alike, a mouth that was usually locked in the flat shape of grim resolve and a hardened face that was tempered in war. One could not deny a relation between the two, they both had the brand that marked them as descendants of the Hero-King on their left eye and the colour of their hair marked them both as the daughter of Chrom. As the same person, though? The princess in the crib would likely agree with the one standing over her that they were fundamentally two very different people at this point. Lucina almost wished that she could talk to this past self of hers, just to talk with someone who could relate to how strange this feeling was. Of course, Lucina figured it was probably for the best that such a thing was not possible, the last thing she ever wanted was this infant learning just how narrowly it avoided wreckage and ruin, she almost felt guilty for her feelings of envy towards it, but both were shoved aside by a simple truth that even forced her stiff upper lip into a joyous grin that stretched from ear to ear. The princess that stood over the crib, removed a glove from her hand and tenderly placed it upon the almost-impossibly soft cheek of the princess that lay in the crib. Both delighted in the action, the past self burying it's face in the warm hand pressed against it and the future self enjoying the adorable squeals of approval. In that moment, words from a ruined future were spoken to a hopeful past, words of comfort, of victory against the tides of destiny, of years of blood and tears finally given their just reward…

" _Yours will be a happy future."_

Lucina repeated the same words again and again in her head, wondering if more needed to be said. She wondered if she should say goodbye one last time, if a few whispered words possibly heard by her mother peeping on her was enough closure for the people who had bled beside her to change fate itself. Yet, Lucina knew why she could not do it, but she was too proud to confess it to anyone, not even her prayers to Naga, God or not, would mention the shameful fact. Lucina imagined it now; announcing her departure and why she needed to depart and being barraged by pleas from her mother and father, the two people who swore time and again that they would find a place for Lucina in this past and future where she did not belong. Even if she could stand firm against them, and Gods knew that would be a task on her soul, what of all her friends and other family? Her sister and cousin, Cynthia and Owain, would either drag Lucina back to Ylisstol castle or, even worse, follow her on her quest to return to their ruined future. Add in every friend who would tell her it would be a fool's errand or would offer to help her as well, and Lucina quickly came to the decision that she could not say goodbye. She would never leave if she tried, these were the people that saved the world with her, the mere thought of them, of no longer standing beside them, made her hold arms against her body to sate the growing yearning to run back and embrace every single person dear to her.

However, she still had a duty to uphold, the implications of her comrades' victory over Grima pushing her on this seemingly vain quest. The Grima of this time was an ally now, the very tactician that devised their plans to vanquish the Fell dragon. The Grima of the doomed time, Lucina and her allies' time, had come to this one and was killed in it. Meaning that future of despair might not be so hopeless anymore, not with the doom bringer itself vanquished. However, it was likely far from any shape of what it was like before the world basically ended under the Fell Dragon's wings. Lucina grimaced at the thought of her people, everything left of humanity on that blasted world in general, scrambling to survive in the wake of Grima's absence. That world had a chance to survive, but its chance was slim, how could Lucina carry herself as the leader her comrades looked upon her for if she just ignored the possibility that her people needed her now more than ever? She knew that she might never return, she knew that she abandoned her world in the end, but that was when the future had ran out of any hope, now it had a fighting chance again. If there was still hope for that ruined time, that damned hellscape, Lucina would fight for it.

At the same time, she had to remain realistic, she might end up venturing every nook and cranny of the world for the rest of her life and not even be a step closer to returning to that lost place. Lucina had to do this alone, she did not want her friends to squander their lives over her sense of duty. The exalted princess could not decide if her choice was selfless or selfish, she simply wanted her friends to finally have a life in a world not condemned by forces beyond their control, but the knots in her stomach and heart attested that she truly did wish they could stand beside her as they had so many times before. In the end, it was decided that leaving her friends behind was the least selfish choice she could make. She could only pray that they could forgive her for leaving them behind, they would likely worry endlessly if Lucina did as she usually did and bit off more than she could chew. She really could not blame them for that, many of her conversations with friends and family were occasionally instigated by Lucina over-exerting herself. The memories were happy ones, mostly happy ones, and managed to balm the pain that swelled within Lucina as she took one more look of Ylisstol. Blinking back tears, she tried to think of any words she should say, but she despite how much she wanted to she refused to say that cursed word, not after going through so much with the people that currently slept in that city. How can one say it, after laughing, crying, fighting, protecting and just living alongside someone, or some people in this case, for so long and through so much hardship? In the end, Lucina turned away, running as quickly as she could before her feet's desire to turn back overtook her, that word merely echoing in her mind…

 _Goodbye._

Lucina simply did not believe her eyes when she saw the ancient ruin, covered mostly in gnarled vines and tree roots, but there all the same. Forcing her aching arms to bring Falchion to bare once more, she sliced apart the foliage that had built up along the entrance to the long-compromised structure. There, though weathered by the ravages of nature, carved above the entrance, was the same image branded on Lucina's left eye. Falchion whistled through the air several more time, slicing more vines and splintering more roots, revealing other patterns alongside the entrance. In a moment's gaze, Lucina lost all feeling in her legs and her knees quickly buckled and landed on the earthy ground. She had the patterns and symbols memorized from Gods knew how many scrolls and books, most of which denounced the very place that stood before her as a myth. Yet, here it was, Lucina should have been proud, finding long lost ruins would usually warrant such feelings, but she knew the purpose of this place and her reason for coming here, which, after all this time, still weighed on her heart, all the more now that she was so close to her objective. She would return to her own time and leave this one behind with all of her friends and family. It took a long while before Lucina could muster the strength to take a step inside the forlorn building before her, she almost forgot to light a torch before she stepped into the darkness that enveloped its interior.

She had lost track of the time, how many months had it been? Years even? It was a question that trickled into her mind as she walked through the decayed ruin. Time travel tended to make one wonder about time. She could still recall her last glimpse of Ylisstol, the last sights of her friends and family, their last words and parting gestures. Her heart began to spin in the sudden whirlpool of melancholy, pulling her mind deeper into her memories, it felt like she was being sucked into a library of her life. Cynthia grabbing her out of a horde of Risen humming a heroic tune and blinking back the tears of almost losing her big sister. Then she saw Owain actually managing to stupefy a band of thugs raiding their supply line with one of his bombastic displays for at least half an hour. There was Brady telling people how stupid they all were while he thoroughly tended their wounds as carefully as a mother hen with her chicks. Inigo nonchalantly throwing pick-up lines while in combat with a Deadlord with that daring smile to mask how much he wanted to soil his smallclothes. Yarne frantically apologizing to his mother for almost getting himself 'extincted' for the tenth or twelfth time while helping a comrade. Kjelle 'demonstrating' (her excuse for it) how to grapple and wrestle down an enemy wyvern-rider in a full suit of armour. Noire befuddling friend and foe alike switching between one of the most demure girls and bloodthirsty warrior-women that walked the earth. Laurent almost forgetting the javelin lodged in his back to experiment on a few vulneraries he had developed and scribbling down a few estimates. Severa pouting and griping over drawing the night shift while unintentionally slipping in her concern for friends and family. Gerome fighting a squadron of Valmese pegasus knights with a stubborn conviction that broke the aloof persona he built like a wall around himself. Nah destroying another tent transforming into a dragon because she refused to be seen as a child more than anyone else around here. Morgan's little smile after digging a pitfall large enough to fit a little more than half the Shepherds and actually managing to capture the quarter that hadn't heard of Morgan's eccentric habits (her father tried to mask his pride for everyone else's sake).

Then everything flashed away in an endless sea of red and a throbbing pain on Lucina's forehead, the surprise alone knocking her off her footing. She rushed to regain her footing, pushing herself away from the perceived source of the pain and drawing falchion in a stance rehearsed hundreds of times in battle and in training in a blur. She stared blankly at the weathered, damp stone in front of her for a good moment and a half before realizing she simply walked into a wall. Despite the fact she was all alone, Lucina couldn't help but submit to the urge to look self-consciously over her shoulder, she still expected a snarky quip from… Someone.

"… Great job, little-miss-perfect." Lucina copied one of her favourite monikers from Severa as she rubbed her sore head with a small smile.

Lucina quickly shook her head to clear her mind, she couldn't dwell on the past, not right now at least. She took a moment to regain her bearings and read some of the symbols that were still eligible, it took a while but soon the light of Lucina's torch shined in the grand chamber of the structure. It was a massive roomed made up entirely of beautifully carved stone, at least, carvings that were likely once beautiful before the years weathered them to a shadow of what they once were. Yet, even in this reduced state, the sights still managed to steal Lucina's breath. The ceiling was held above by dozens of pillars that each dwarfed the little human that gazed upon them and remained standing in utter defiance of their own age and decay. The floor was made up of tightly packed tiles, the vast majority of them cracked and splintered, but faint images of flowing patterns carved into them still visible if one looked hard enough. A fountain, or what remained of one, lay ruined in the middle of the room, the water within it lying stagnant for possibly centuries. On the far side of the room, on the wall opposite of where Lucina had entered, was a great archway that remained perfectly intact, no colours muted by time, no carvings worn away by weathering and no visible entrance or exit behind it save what looked like an oversized keyhole in the middle of the wall behind it. Lucina gripped her shaking hands against Falchion's hilt and the torch she carried as she moved towards the archway, her steps echoing between the pillars and reverberating off the decrepit walls. As Lucina passed the fountain, a shocking image caught the corner of her eye, she stopped and walked over to the dark waters in the fountain, torch held high. Once again, she gazed upon an unfamiliar reflection of herself. Her face looked gaunter than she recalled, her eyes deeply underlined by noticeable bags and her garb made in the likeliness of Marth himself had tears and other signs of weathering about it. Lucina was now really wondering how much time had passed since she 'disappeared' all those nights ago. Once again, her mind was plunged into the waters of the past as she stared vacantly into the fountain. She saw the face of her kind and gentle mother, Sumia, and her brave and trusting father, Chrom, even that brilliant optimist, Robin, touched a few tender spots in her heart. A few tears fell upon and disrupted the still waters, shattering the reflection and Lucina's thoughts. She took a moment to wipe the mist out of her eyes and steel herself for the coming moment before returning to her simple task of walking towards the grand archway.

It felt like an eternity as Lucina walked and no time at all when she finally reached the archway. Trying to put as little thought into the action as she could, Flachion was raised and pointed towards the keyhole-slit in the wall. All went silent as Lucina just stood there, waiting for… she did not truly know what. Maybe she was hoping for the archway to collapse, a sign that she should turn away and return to the ones she held dearest. Maybe she was waiting for one of those people to run in and dramatically object what she was about to do and convince her to remain here. Yet, no such thing transpired, the hopeful princess just stood holding Flachion ready to insert it into the wall and complete the task she started the moment she stepped out of Ylisstol. Now, she had to say something. She wanted to scream it into the air, just for the chance that she might yell loud enough for the people whose faces that flooded her mind to hear.

"GOODBYE, I'M SO SORRY, GOODBYE!" Lucina thrust her face upward as she frantically bellowed every farewell and apology she knew in her vocabulary again and again until it all mixed into an unintelligible slurry of words and mutterings.

Lucina carried on for as long as her lungs could put out, until she fell to her knees for a breath and her voice went hoarse. Yet, despite all of that, it simply did not feel like it was enough, a cold and painful void dug mercilessly into her insides. At that point she could barely manage a whimper as she slammed a fist into the stone ground again and again in a mixture of pain and anger. She had finally said what she wanted to say for all this time, did she not? Maybe it was regret that she did not say it sooner, to the actual people those goodbyes were meant for? Lucina did not know what to do, her very soul torn between her duty as Exalt and her love for her friends and family. Eventually, she buried herself in memory, trying to hide from the pain behind the past itself. It helped, to a degree, when she remembered laughing at the absurdity over running away from a bug with Cynthia, when she felt her heart warm over Brady's outbursts of compassion, when she sighed just a bit in frustration over another lecture from the well-meaning Laurent, when she gasped in mortification when Owain tried to tell her as delicately as possible why Pointy Demonspanker was a terrible name for Falchion, the pain subsided. A moment past before Lucina realized that stinging void was gone and she slowly pushed herself back onto her feet. It was then, that Lucina realized what she truly wanted to say, what she should have said so long ago. After surviving so much with those people, Walhart, Validar, Grima, fate itself, how could they truly part? Lucina would never forget them, not a single one of them, for as long as she drew breath and she was certain they would not forget her either. She started to see what Robin might have been talking about whenever he, or Morgan, went on about those 'invisible ties' between people. What was the point in saying goodbye to people who shared that strong of a bond together? How could she say she left them all behind when they so easily filled her thoughts? Lucina leveled Falchion with the slit in the wall once more, lively purpose in her every action and determination shining in her eyes. With a single thrust, she plunged Naga's Tooth snugly into the stone sheathe and quickly found herself staring into a familiar blue, eye-shaped construct. She remembered very clearly what to do now, as she sprinted into the eye-like portal once again, she spoke her revelation to whoever was able and cared to hear it, a promise to herself and her comrades alike as she left this world and entered her old one.

" _We will meet again, in this world or the next, I promise."_


End file.
